In pursuit of all things shiny

Some thirty-two million people use JFK airport each year, and most of them were there last Friday - the aircraft had to wait for planes to land, then for some to take off, and then for more to land, and then for more to take off... all while we had to sit still, understimulated, and underbeveraged. Finally we took off, the beverage trolley came around, the magical seatback entertainment units were switched on, and happiness ensued. I even had three seats to myself! Happiness! I was met in LA by family friends, who helped me collect the vast mountain of baggage I've accumulated, and took me back to their house and fed me quesadillas. mmmmm, quesadillllla.

Saturday I had an interview to do, which was really helpful, another Australian who lived in London in the '60s. Then to LACMA for the Magritte exhibition - carpet with clouds on it. Driving around LA is crazy, the freeways are endless, and nuts, and the smog is unbelievable - similar to Sydney but five times as large. And with palm trees. Beautiful weather after the east coast though.

Sunday morning we head off to Vegas! Yeah Vegas! I joined in the annual family Christmas shopping trip, so now have my Christmas shopping done, and another swathe to add to my baggage. Driving there was great, across the Nevada desert, with endless rocky hills covered in primordial spiky shrubs. Getting to Vegas is such a contrast to the surrounding landscape - as though they decided to funnel all the available resources for the state into just the one spot. What Paris is to historic elegance, Vegas is to Kitsch. Which I don't mean as an insult, it's excellent, one huge site for replicas of Paris, New York, Egypt, and Pirate ships. Also, lots of lights, shiny glass and water features. The volume of gambling, especially of slot machines, is insane. Excellent buffets. And the only time I've seen sushi and french toast share the one plate. One night we went to Cirque du Soleil's Ka which was great, I'd never seen any of their shows, so that was great, especially to see it in a custom built theatre. And the show has people dressed as a turtle, a crab and a starfish - so cute. And then lots of people doing crazy flippy things at great heights. And fireworks. And little speakers in the seatbacks.

The rest of the time we shopped. And shopped. And then, oh, we shopped. Ah, the American outlet mall, a place of happy, shiny things.

We got back from Vegas last night, today we headed off to Watts in South Central LA to check out the Watts Towers which is one of my favourite things. Then we went to Disney Downtown - the mall outside of Disneyland, which I looked at through the gates and declined to spend the eighty dollars it takes to enter.

I fly home tonight, arriving Friday. I don't get no Thursday.